Ronaldinho freed by prosecutors for entering Paraguay with a fake passport

Brazil football legend, Ronaldinho, 39, has been freed by Paraguayan prosecutors after he admitted guilt for entering Paraguay with a fake passport.

The former Barcelona superstar and his brother and business manager Roberto Assis entered Paraguay on Wednesday with fake passports bearing their names with Paraguayan nationality despite having their Brazilian passports confiscated in 2018 following conviction in an environment offence.

The pair were detained in the Resort Yacht & Golf Club Paraguayo and were later interrogated by law enforcement officials.

Prosecutor Federico Delfino said the brothers recognized they had committed a crime but said they did so unwittingly.

“We are looking for an alternative way out of this that doesn’t result in a formal accusation and that recognises that these people were, we can say, taken by surprise,” Delfino told reporters in the Paraguayan capital.

The men said the passports were a gift and an investigation indicated the numbers on the passports corresponded to other people, Delfino added.

Caso Ronaldinho: Fue allanada la suite donde está hospedado Ronaldinho. Se encontraron, documentos varios, C.I. y pasaportes paraguayos con los nombres de Ronaldinho y su hermano. Investigación en curso. pic.twitter.com/jGO4ZoHNWn
— Fiscalía Paraguay (@MinPublicoPy) March 5, 2020

A judge will now decide whether to accept Delfino’s recommendation on Friday. According to news18, If he does, he will rule on an alternative punishment, possibly a fine to be to a local charity.

Marin said Brazilians do not need a passport to travel between Brazil and Paraguay, because they are members of the Mercosul bloc